Bringing It All Back Home: AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour Visits Youngstown

It was a pair of all-Ohio days for the AMSOIL/Street Rodder Road Tour. When they rolled out of Cincinnati Monday morning they headed to the opposite corner of Ohio for a destination Tour Director Jerry Dixey calls one of his favorite places in the United States: his own back yard. Yes, Mary Ann and Jerry decided that being this close to home they ought to give The Dynamat Tour a very special memory, a Dixey Picnic.

With Jerry on the road the heavy lifting was left for Mary Ann who recruited her friend Dawn Damron. It was a beautiful drive that included a little excursion through Amish country. When they arrived at suppertime, even Jerry’s mother Barbara Dixey and brother Jack joined in the festivities which included a great meal of sloppy joes, vegetarian chili and tasty desserts. Jerry gave everyone a tour of his garages, toy boxes and house. The road warriors had a chance to see that Jerry not only enjoys talking about cars, he’s also a collector, albeit on a slightly smaller scale than some of the incredible collections he’s had the privilege of sharing over the years in other places and spaces.

A lot of folks don’t realize that before the Road Tour carved a chunk out of his life Jerry’s time was primary spent running a business called Classic Automobilia, a company that he and Mary Ann started in 1989. While the showroom is still filled with nostalgia and automobilia. Jerry even showed the Road Tourians his soap box derby collection and the many pedal cars he’s acquired over the years. Everyone enjoyed the diner-themed showroom.

Next stop: Snyder’s Antique Auto in nearby New Springfield, Ohio. Snyder’s has been in business for over 50 years. The company was started by Don Snyder Sr. who along with Jerry’s father John Dixey and a few others started the Model T Ford Club of Mahoning County. Jerry’s passion for cars is in the his blood as he grew up going to antique auto shows in his Great Grandfather’s 1926 Model T Ford station wagon that his father restored in the early 1960’s, a vehicle he still owns. Don Synder III, who now runs the company, gave everyone a tour of their facility where they supply Model T and Model A parts to folks around the world. After this they visited the car collection of Don Snyder Jr., an amazing collection of almost 100 vehicles. Don is a fan of the early lightweight factory race cars of the 60’s. They were able to see the very first Ford Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt #100 which was the last one made.

Other stops Tuesday include #1 Performance Center in Columbiana, Ohio and the collection of Norm and Cynthia Anderson in Canfield, Ohio. Tuesday’s various stops in the Youngstown area culminated in the weekly Tuesday night cruise at the Austintown Senior Center. The Mahoning Valley Old Car Club coordinates the cruise each week with Jerry’s good friends Dick and Laurie Nard handling the DJ duties. As with everywhere else they go, the Road Tour vehicles turn heads and the Road Tourian enjoy seeing the local cars. They were even ask to parade in front of the DJ stand as a group on our way out of the cruise, a great way to wrap up this special time in Jerry Dixey’s home town, Youngstown, Ohio.

Till next! Join the Road Tour and see where the cars really are.

So Much To See and Do in the Northeast for AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tourians

The Breakers... Vanderbilt summer home.

The AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour is making its way through the Northeast this week on what has been tagged as the Eastwood Summer Classic leg of the Road Tour. Hey, Jerry... are you having fun yet?

The photos our Road Tour Director has sent this week indicate that this is again a very special circuit for Road Tourians. Beginning at the Syracuse Nationals the gathered tour weaves its way through New York State, Rhode Island, Connecticut and on to Massachusetts. Along the way sights have included The Breakers, a variety of special car and nostalgia collections, the Connecticut Street Rod Association (where they were guests at a party last night), Newport Harbor, Cape Cod Bay, and a dive down into Pennsylvania, ultimately aiming for Hershey Thursday to wind up at the third annual Eastwood Summer Classic in Pottstown, PA.

One of the highlights for Jerry Dixey will be stopping at Bethel, New York where one of the most famous rock concerts in history took place 45 years ago this August on Max Yasgur's 600 acre dairy farm. For Jerry it will be a nostalgic moment as he reflects on what he saw and heard there a lifetime ago.

Here are few of the memories being taken away on this leg of the tour... and this summary of one day's details.

Ride on!

Ron Shaver's Contribution to the 2014 AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour

It was exciting to see legendary engine builder Ron Shaver competing in last year's AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge. His late model GM LS engine featured RHS block and heads, displacing 427 cubic inches. Holley carburetor on a single plane intake manifold. Shaver’s engine. decked out with a Holley carburetor on a single plane intake manifold, was clearly a well-developed piece that ran flawlessly in qualifying.

The power output was outstanding, with peak output recorded at 738 horsepower and 653 lb-ft of peak torque. The engine’s score was hurt by a dip in the torque curve right at the bottom of the rpm range, but the final tally of 2720.4 was enough to put Shaver among the leaders. By week's end another engine builder walked away with the trophy, but no one takes anything for granted when a Ron Shaver engine is in the room.

Well, this year Shaver's name came up in conjunction with another AMSOIL-sponsored relationship, the AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour. The Road Tour's '59 Chev Impala is a big car, and it needed a big engine. Road Tour director Jerry Dixey says it has been tremendously fun to drive. Furthermore, it has enough trunk space to accommodate "a small college  marching band" (if they leave out the tubas.) Dixey has driven a few road tours with almost no trunk space, so the extra room is welcome. It's not easy packing a week's worth of attire into a glove compartment.

The power behind this year's car came from a Ron Shaver-built 427 big-block LS with EFI. He said the engine would fulfill all the prerequisites of big power, be very streetable, and still be enticing to the eye. "We're here to tell you this big dog hunts on all counts," says Dixey, "The old standard for a street performance engine used to be 1.1 horsepower per cubic inch (hp/ci). This RHS block–based 427 blows that out of the water with an impressive 1.45 hp/ci with its 622 hp peak."

Have fun, Jerry.

Photo courtesy Street Rodder magazine.

Road Tour Leg Three: Winding Up in the Rockies

If you've never been on a Road Tour with Jerry Dixey, you're missing something. Everywhere the AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour goes, the Road Tourians get the red carpet treatment. They also get to eat a lot of good food. And, oh yes, there is a lot of eye candy when it comes to spectacular cars.

This is the third leg of eight tours in 2014, designated the Aeromotive Tour. Tuesday's welcome at the Aeromotive facility in Kansas City was a treat. Wednesday morning the group travelled from Kansas City to Wichita across the grasslands of Kansas. By noon they had arrived at the Poplar Restaurant in Andover, a suburb of Wichita. The Poplar's owner Brian had put together a special buffet of chicken wings and pizza for his guests and it was yummy. After lunch they were ready for a full day of fun in Wichita beginning with a private collection of cars and vehicles that was one of the widest ranging groups of special interest vehicles that many of them had ever seen. From here to drove to downtown Wichita to Devlin's Rod & Customs. Tim Devlin had played a big role in organizing their activities in Wichita to make it a special day.

Heading West the tour landed in Dodge City with its famous Boot Hill Museum. Welcome to the Old West. Unfortunately, a hard rain dampened (cancelled) their evening plans there, but didn't dampen their spirits. Their final destination this week is the NSRA Rocky Mountain Nationals in Pueblo, Colorado. When you reach the Rockies and look east, well, this is where the song "I can see for miles" may have originated. There's nothing quite so beautiful as getting into that thin Rocky Mountain air. There will be more than photos of cars brought home by this group. But for the moment, we're just going to tickle your eyes with a few more photos of beautiful cars these folks got to see this week.

Now that it's summertime, keep your eyes open for vintage car enthusiasts out cruisin'... re-living their nostalgic dreams. If you've got a car and really want to live the dream, join up with a future leg of the AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour. You'll be glad you did.

The AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour Hits the Open Road

The 2014 AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour is off to an excellent start. 60 participants joined Tour leader Jerry Dixey as they embarked on the first tour of the season, the Vintage Air Tour. This year’s event added a unique opportunity to participate in the Triple Crown Challenge, a back-to-back 3-tour experience that will keep those up to the task on the road for most of June. Those who complete the Triple Crown Challenge will earn a commemorative jacket and great memories of the ultimate road trip.

When the tour kicked off in San Antonio June 7, participants got acquainted with their fellow Road Tourians and the plans for the week ahead at an evening cookout hosted by Vintage Air Headquarters. After the welcome event, members headed to the Alamo in downtown San Antonio for a tour and overview of this important piece of American history. The AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour is currently heading West as they make their way to Pomona, Calif. for the Father’s Day Los Angeles Roadster Show. Stops along the way will include legendary hot rod shops, a tour of the Unser Racing Museum and miles of beautiful scenery throughout the American Southwest.

Clovis, New Mexico

The 2014 AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour is just getting started, so there’s still time to join any of the remaining tour legs. Find dates and locations below, then head on over to the Street Rodder website to register for the road trip of a lifetime.

The Vintage Air Tour 
June 7-15 Vintage Air, San Antonio, Texas, to the 50th L.A. Roadsters Show, Pomona, California

The MSRA Back to the 50's Weekend Tour 
June 13-22 The 50th L.A. Roadsters Show, Pomona, California, to Back to the 50s, St. Paul, Minnesota

The Aeromotive Tour 
June 20-29 Back to the 50s, St. Paul, Minnesota, to the NSRA Rocky Mountain Nationals, Pueblo, Colorado

The Eastwood Summer Classic Tour 
July 18-26 The Syracuse Nationals, Syracuse New York, to the Eastwood Summer Classic, Pottstown, Pennsylvania

The Autopalooza.org Tour 
August 9-17 A Week on Woodward Avenue, near Detroit, Michigan

The Shades of the Past Tour 
August 30-September 6 The 60th NHRA U.S. Nationals, Indianapolis, Indiana, to Shades of the Past, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

The Dynamat Tour 
September 5-14 Shades of the Past, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, to the NSRA Nationals North Plus, Kalamazoo, Michigan

The Sherm's Custom Plating Tour 
October 31–November 8 Sherm's Custom Plating, Sacramento, California, to the SEMA Show, Las Vegas, Nevada

If you're a Classic Car enthusiast and like adventures on the open road, follow along at Streetrodderweb.com...  

1959 AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour Impala: Putting It All Together

This is year six of the AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour and it promises to be yet another exciting one. Street Rodder magazine is consider by many rodding enthusiasts to be the Bible of street rodding. Since the Road Tour was conceived many years ago, spearheaded by Road Tour director Jerry Dixey, participation has grown steadiily

Here's a quick peek of how this year's 1959 Chevrolet Impala looked as it was being assembled in the shop of Hot Rods By Dean. This coming weekend "Leg One" of this year's eight road tours will be kicking off from San Antonio, Texas heading west to the 50th annual L.A. Roadsters Show in Pomona, California. That's one beautiful drive across the Southwest, and it's a great way to start this year's tour.

If you're interested in being part of one of the 2014 AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour, here's this year's schedule, along with a link to a form to fill out so you can get registered. It's a great family of rodding enthusiasts creating memories for a lifetime.

And maybe at some point along the way, if you get a chance, ask Jerry what it was like being at Woodstock.

Jerry Dixey and the 2013 AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour Car Happy To Be Home

Word on the street is that the 2013 Street Rodder Road Tour '51 Ford has finally returned to its roost after a summer of logging over 16,000 miles. The AMSOIL Road Tour Chauffeur Jerry Dixey once again led eight individual tours to various events and the kind of bucket list sites that street rod enthusiasts only dream about.

It should be noted that Jerry Dixey may look like he's living the dream as he leads various groups of Road Tourians here, there and everywhere. But it's not a totally carefree existence. There's a heckuva lot of work that goes on behind the scenes as he prepares routes and destinations and lodging and food stops for every one of these tour legs. He really never rests because he also has to stay attuned to potential road construction detours and other unexpected diversions along the way.

On the other hand, this guy sure has driven some spectacular vehicles over the years. And he’s done his fair share of travelling as well, beginning with a hitchhiking road trip to Woodstock for that Summer of ’69 spectacle way back when. No doubt he’s already sifting ideas for his next adventure.

For the record, Jerry managed to average 25 mpg with this year’s AMSOIL Street Rodder custom Ford featuring the new Ford EcoBoost twin turbo V-6 from Ford Racing and Performance. The car was built by the crew at Honest Charley Garage with a Fatman chassis. The sprayed on PPG Golden Dream gold was applied over an extensively modified sheetmetal body. This fabulous car will be on display in the outdoor Foord Racing Booth at this year’s SEMA Show.

And while you're there, stop by the AMSOIL Booth and visit with us as well. Booth 24661.

Ride on!

'52 Chevy Gettin' Ready For Road Tour

It won't be long till we see the 2009 AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour criss-crossing the Continent in another eight-leg adventure led by the ever enthused Jerry Dixey who seems specially anointed for this task. Dixey, who's company Classic Automobilia features pedal cars and other nostalgic wares, somehow manages a remarkable quantity of details in assembling travel routes and station stops for the Road Tour. The kickoff for this year's tour is just a month away.

Street Rodder magazine is the host of the Road Tour, with AMSOIL title sponsor. The first order of business each year, even preceding destinations and travel routes, is selecting the year, make and model of the car that Jerry Dixey will drive as leader of the pack. For 2009 it will be a 1952 Chevy and as you can see from the photos, it is coming together nicely.

Some have asked how Street Rodder decides what car to build each year. There are several considerations in the decision. First, the editors are always trying to expand the street rod universe. Certain vintage cars have received so much attention that it is near impossible to break into the rodder scene with these cars because they're priced beyond reach, or impossible to find in their "raw" condition.

The choice of this year's 1952 Chevy was designed in part to give the editors a feel for learning how to work with newer cars. This selection also opens up a new breed of affordable, fun cars, pushing the envelope and opening new horizons.

From the initial conceptual drawing (below) to completed build there has been a lot of excitement being generated for this year's lead car in the 2009 AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour.

2008 AMSOIL Year in Review

For many, 2008 will be remembered as a year of wreckage in the U.S. financial markets, with subsequent consequences rippling out in concentric circles of turbulence throughout the world economy. At AMSOIL, 2008 is will be remembered as a year of milestones as we completed our expansion into the AMSOIL Center in January and marked our 35th Anniversary in July, eager to embark on the another 35 years looking forward. It was a joy to share the moment with Dealers and friends of the AMSOIL family from across the continent at our Convention here in Duluth/Superior.

Early in the year, AMSOIL was saddened by the loss of legendary hot rod builder Boyd Coddington. A true inspiration, Boyd’s many accomplishments spoke of his passion for his work. AMSOIL was fortunate to be able to partner with him during the months before his passing, and appreciated his commitment to his relationships and his craft. Boyd was truly a loss to the both the industry and those who knew him personally.

In March, AMSOIL announced its sponsorship of the 2008 Street Rodder Road Tour. Led by Jerry Dixie, these enthusiasts love sharing their passion as they travel around the country in their classic street rods. On their way to the Back to the 50’s event in St. Paul, MN in June, AMSOIL hosted a party at the AMSOIL Center. AMSOIL founder and President/CEO A.J. Amatuzio welcomed the Road Tourians, and Jo Coddington made an appearance. The event attracted hundreds of street rodders and local enthusiasts. It was exciting for AMSOIL to be a part of this event. The year ended with AMSOIL becoming title sponsor of this annual event.

Springtime brought more excitement as AMSOIL continued its sponsorship of the 2008 Diesel Power Challenge, a two-day competition held in Salt Lake City. Diesel builders put their trucks through the paces in a competition fit for only the toughest. The Four Wheeler Top Truck Challenge was another event AMSOIL was proud to be a part of. This week long event puts drivers and their trucks through rigorous events that test even the mightiest Four Wheelers.

In 2008 AMSOIL became the Official Oil of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally as well as the 2009 Daytona Bike Week. The AMSOIL presence in these motorcycle scenes is huge and continues to grow.

For the second year AMSOIL had the privilege of being a sponsor of the National Street Rod Association, participating in events from coast to coast. Their August Street Rod Nationals in Louisville is the granddaddy of car shows and the standard by which all others are measured.

Through our Dealers AMSOIL reaches a myriad of trade shows and events in nearly every market where there is an engine that needs lubrication. The biggest of all these shows is the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas, a mecca for the performance automotive enthusiast. As is the custom, numerous new products were introduced again this year, including AMSOIL Brake Fluid, AMSOIL Power Steering Fluid, new Ea Filters, a new 10W-30 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil and a fabulous new line of synthetic racing oils, brand name Dominator. We also introduced a new line of co-branded AMSOIL/Injen Air Intake Systems for gasoline powered cars and received a 2008 Global Media Award for this system.

2009 at AMSOIL promises to be an even better year with still more new products in the pipeline and expectations for continued growth due to continued demand for our products, especially in these times when motorists and enthusiasts want to protect their investments for the long haul. May your best days be still ahead as well.

AMSOIL Shines at "Back to the Fifties"

There were cars galore at the 35th annual MN Street Rodder Association's Back to the Fifties event in St. Paul this past weekend. The gathering was the endpoint in Street Rodder's Road Tour which passed through Superior, WI last week.

AMSOIL CFO John Hosler described the scene like this: "At the show you can see everything from pristine frame off restored trailer queens to down & dirty rat rods – from survivors to drivers to brands which have unfortunately gone away like Auburn, Studebaker, Oldsmobile, Willys, Henry J., Hudson, Simpson, Packard, etc. – sedans to rags to woodies. They were all there, 11,693 of them in fact." More than 60,000 people per day came to pay homage to these vintage cars and the memories they foster.

It was a special delight to have Jo Coddington on hand for the duration, a classic car enthusiast in her own right. Jo rode in Jerry Dixey's lead car for the part of leg three of the Road Tour and was delighted to see so many familiar faces and enthusiastic youth getting introduced to the rodder scene.

For those car collectors whose rides don’t fit into MSRA there is the Minnesota Street Machine Association (MSMA) featuring muscle cars and cars of the 60s & beyond in conjunction with Car Craft magazine another sizable show at State Fairgrounds in July.

Click on the images to enjoy them at full size.

Street Rodder Road Tour Coming To Town

For a lot of folks, it’s like Christmas in summer. Wednesday night, June 18, the Street Rodder Road Tour will be making its last stop before heading to the Minnesota Street Rod Association’s Back to the Fifties event in St Paul. We’re currently anticipating 28 cars and a contingent of local street rodding enthusiasts. This leg of the Tour which originated in Bowling Green, Kentucky, currently has 22 vehicles making the whole trip, but six more will be joining soon. That’s how road tours go, with enthusiasts hopping aboard along the way.

A special feature of this stop will be the presence of Jo Coddington, wife of the late Boyd Coddington, one of street rodding’s most influential builders and centerpiece of American Hot Rod. Jo will be joining Road Tour Director Jerry Dixey in the lead car for the last segment of this journey.

June 18 Agenda
The agenda here on Wednesday is for the Road Tourians to arrive at AMSOIL Center after checking in at their hotel. From 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. we’ll have suitable street rod music blaring and vendors on hand if you need a bite to eat or something to quench your thirst. And of course there will be the cars, which is what it's all about. Happily, the weather appears to be promising. Local car clubs and the public have been invited to view the cars on the tarmac inside Gate A at the AMSOIL Center.

Evidently there’s a lot of buzz out on the street. Anyone wishing to join the parade of classic cars on Thursday’s day trip to St. Paul is more than welcome. We’ll be gathering again in the morning at the AMSOIL Center to head south at approximately 8:30 a.m. If you’re planning to drive Back to the Fifties, be sure to double check the start time when visiting Wednesday eve.

Are We Having Fun Yet?

As summertime approaches, the opportunitites to be part of an AMSOIL sponsored event almost seem to be stacking on top of one another. It is a very exciting year with head turning thrills wherever you look.

Next weekend the NSRA will gather in Springfield, Missouri for the Mid-America Street Rod Nationals at the Missouri Entertainment and Event Center. This is the 25th year of the annual event, which is noted as the city's largest vintage car show. Fans of these wonderfully cool old-time cars can see them live from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday thru Sunday, May 23-25.

I know a few off road truck enthusiasts who would probably give their eye teeth to be part of the Top Truck Challenge in Hollister, California the first week of June. There will be a lot of shredded metal and other carnage again this year, no doubt, as the editors and publishers of Four Wheeler magazine dream up new ways to put equipment to the test. More info on that will follow soon.

A little later in June the Street Rodder Road Tour will be passing through Superior and stopping at the World AMSOIL Center the evening of June 18. The public is invited to see these classic cars from 6:30 till 8:00. (We'd party till midnight, but the drivers will have just finished a long day's trek and out of courtesy we'll let them check in to their hotels and get some rest.)

Those who have followed the tour in Street Scene and Street Rodder magazines will know that columnist Jerry Dixey drives the lead car. It's a lot of work putting these road tours together, but Jerry loves all the great people he's met along the way. This is your opportunity to meet him in person.

For the record, anyone interested in joining the parade of vintage street rods on Thursday as they head to St. Paul can meet us at the AMSOIL Center at 8:30 a.m. The word on the street is that Jo Coddington, co-star of the American Hot Rod TV show, will be along for the ride.

And if it is racing you're after, be sure to check out the AMSOIL Racing Blog. There's a lot of racing going on this time of year, and it keeps our racing manage Jeremy Meyer pretty busy with his fingers on the pulse of all of it. Check it out. It's a fun read.

In the meantime, take a deep and let's plunge forward. The best is yet to come.

Visit the AMSOIL website for more information on AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants.